PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says after conversations with elected leaders and emergency officials, he has concerns over how a derailment on the Pennsylvania-Ohio border was handled, including the intentional burning of some of the hazardous chemicals on board.
In a letter, Shapiro is calling for an investigation into the rail company’s operations.
The 50-car derailment happened a quarter-mile from the Pennsylvania border. As fears grew about a potential explosion, officials had the area evacuated and opted to release and burn toxic vinyl chloride from five rail cars.
There are concerns about the huge plumes of smoke, the persisting odors, the anecdotal reports of sick or dead animals, any potential impact on drinking water, and the cleanup.
Shapiro said the derailment and its aftermath “had a significant impact on the residents, businesses and environment of Beaver County.”
In a letter to Norfolk Southern, Shapiro says the rail line failed to implement a unified command.
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Instead of working closely with first responders, Shapiro says Norfolk Southern personnel “separated themselves from the rest of the incident management structure.”
Shapiro says Norfolk Southern "failed to explore all potential courses of action, including some that may have kept the rail line closed longer, but could have resulted in a safer approach."
And he notes what he calls Norfolk Southern's “well-known opposition to modernized regulations,” adding he believes that requires further scrutiny and investigation.
Railroad regulation falls mostly under federal jurisdiction, but Shapiro is asking the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission to look into Norfolk Southern’s conduct across the state.
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Norfolk Southern operates several lines in highly-populated areas in southeastern Pennsylvania. The company says they’ve called Shapiro to discuss his concerns. They say they were on scene immediately and remain on scene.
The railroad announced Tuesday that it is creating a $1 million fund to help the community of some 4,700 people while continuing remediation work, including removing spilled contaminants from the ground and streams and monitoring air quality.
Ohio governor Mike DeWine says despite the volatile chemicals, the train was not considered a high-hazardous material train, and was not required to notify state or emergency officials about what was in the cars. He calls that absurd and is calling on Congress to take a closer look.
A mechanical issue with a rail car axle is suspected to be the cause of the derailment, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it has video appearing to show a wheel bearing overheating just beforehand. The NTSB said it expects its preliminary report in about two weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.